The Arizona Cardinals season ended early yet again in 2012. With not much more than pride to play for over the final few games, the Cardinals, like their fans, must have been looking ahead to the offseason for months.

There has been no shortage of moves thus far. Key players around the league have been cut or their contracts restructured.

One of the bigger events of the offseason is nearly upon us. The NFL Scouting Combine is right around the corner, and the discussion on whom the Cardinals should target will start to heat up.

Arizona general manager Steve Keim has been in the scouting industry for a while and will be no stranger to the events of the combine.

He will have a lot of decision-making to do between now and Feb. 23. From picking out players to watch to settling on questions for the interviews, his breaks will be few and far between over the next few weeks.

Luke Joeckel

Possibly the best prospect in the draft, Luke Joeckel is one of 58 offensive linemen who will be at the combine.

He is in the top 10 of just about every mock draft, and some even have him going first overall to Kansas City.

The Texas A&M product has received high praise from many scouts and writers alike. Bleacher Report NFL Draft lead writer Matt Miller described him as the best pass-blocking left tackle he has ever scouted.

Fellow Arizona Cardinals featured columnist Shaun Church is on the wagon as well. As he pointed out in a recent article, it would even be worth trading up for the franchise left tackle.

There are many intriguing options for the Cardinals with the seventh overall pick. If Joeckel is still on the board, though, there will not be much to think about.

Eric Fisher

The 2013 draft class was set to be one of the greatest in recent memory. That was until offensive tackles Jake Matthews and Taylor Lewan decided to stay at school for another year—decisions that left teams like Arizona sulking.

On a positive note, it gave offensive tackle Eric Fisher an opportunity to shine. The Central Michigan prospect has impressed a lot of scouts and has shot up draft boards over the past couple of months.

With Joeckel expected to be off the board by pick No. 7, several draft experts have the Cardinals selecting Fisher.

While he would be an upgrade over Nate Potter, this team has other needs to address. There will be a lot of talented players available on defense and even the interior line.

You can be sure that new head coach Bruce Arians and company will want to take another look at him before making the call.

Tyler Wilson

The Arizona Cardinals do not have a huge need at the quarterback position, but there is no denying that one exists.

In the past I have said that any quarterback taken inside of the top 10 this year would be considered a reach. Until proven otherwise, I will stick by that statement.

Arizona should, however, take a serious look at Tyler Wilson over the next couple of months. He is someone for whom they may trade back to get. They may also even trade up a few spots in the second round to pick him up.

Either way, he is currently the best-value quarterback in the 2013 class. If they are going to look to the draft for a signal-caller, then he should be the Cardinals first target.

Manti Te'o

This is a pick that could bode quite well for both sides. Arizona needs someone to play alongside Daryl Washington at middle linebacker, and Manti Te’o needs some help with the ladies.

Te’o can provide the Cardinals with solid play, and Darnell Dockett can help him out with his off-field troubles.

It will be interesting to see how his draft stock is affected over the next couple of months. The Heisman Trophy finalist is in need of a solid combine and quality interviews to be taken early in the first round.

Te’o will not be the Cards first choice, but he certainly fills a need and is someone to keep an eye on between now and April.